Market Overview

The news Friday that 2nd quarter GDP expanded by a tepid 1.2% from the previous quarter (annualized) marks a change that needs to acknowledged. The last two years we have seen a pattern of a weak...

Most of us have never witnessed an economic “recovery” this bad. As you will see below, the average rate of economic growth since the last recession has been the lowest for any...

Trading the market is all about outcomes, and it’s no surprise that we are driven to win every single day. When you’re plugging along and banking some nice wins, all is right with the...

EM ended last week on a firm note, helped by the weaker than expected US Q2 GDP report as well as the small bounce in oil. With the RBA and BOE expected to ease this week, the global liquidity...

Will Brazil’s Manufacturing PMI for July hint at a recovery for this battered economy? US construction spending expected to bounce after two monthly declines The US ISM Manufacturing Index is on...

The Presidential SagaThe presidential elections have a profound impact on the economy and the markets. Authors Jeffrey A. Hirsch and Yale Hirsch examine yearly what is known as the Presidential...

In its recently-published update of the world economic outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised down its forecast for global growth in 2016 by 0.1 percentage points (pps) to 3.1%. The...

To better understand this week’s Fed announcement, it’s important to compare the economic backdrop between the June 14-15 and July 26-27 meeting. While first quarter GDP growth was...

The Markit China Manufacturing PMI crossed into positive territory, but barely. This is the first positive reading in operating conditions since February 2015. July survey data signalled a renewed...

There are four events this week that will command the attention of global investors.1. The Reserve Bank of Australia is first. It is a close call, though the median in the Bloomberg survey favors a...

Europe slows The US and the UK accelerates Monetary easing in Japan The week was marked by the releases of first growth estimates for the second quarter. Eurozone growth slowed, with GDP up only...

The economic calendar is fairly light in August since Q2 growth figures have already been released for the United States, the UK and the eurozone. All that is left is Japan. This month the main...

Bail-ins, which have been applicable in the European Union since 1 January 2016 under the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD), are designed so that shareholders and certain categories of...

I have no idea how many books have been written about Warren Buffett, but sometimes I have the feeling that he is giving George Washington a run for his money. The latest addition to the literature is...